By Her Side
by Higuchimon
Summary: Renamon and Ruki's grandmother spend a little time with a sleeping Ruki, movie discussions, and tea.


_**Legal Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or situations that are presented in this fanfic. Everyone will be restored to their original condition at the end of the fanfic, unharmed.  
**Title:** By Her Side  
**Focus:** Hata Seiko, Renamon  
**Notes:** 'Konsui' means lethargy, stupor, coma, dead sleep, that sort of thing. And yes, that is a layer of Renamon x Ruki you'll be seeing._

Hata Seiko was not ashamed to admit that whenever Ruki and Renamon were out on patrol that she stayed up and waited for them. This was especially true on nights like tonight, when they were very late. Normally she and Rumiko waited together, but tonight, the younger woman was away on a photo shoot up in the mountains and wouldn't be back for another week. So as the sun had set and night had fallen, Seiko had waited and waited.

She kept herself busy on her computer for the most part, chatting with people from all over the world. She was in the middle of a very stimulating discussion with someone in America over a movie that they'd both seen recently when her head came up suddenly. She was no psychic, but a grandmother's instinct was the next best thing.

Telling her conversational companion that she would return, Seiko hurried towards the door and pulled it open just in time to catch Ruki as she toppled forward.

"Ruki!" She caught the teenager quickly and checked her for injuries almost automatically. Over the years, she had grown used to Ruki coming home banged up in one way or another, though it wasn't usually too bad. The worst she'd seen had been the broken ankle, and MarineAngemon had healed that in minutes the next day. He was such a useful little Digimon.

The older woman looked around, wondering where Renamon was. It was almost impossible to think of her granddaughter without the beautiful fox Digimon there. They were too closely entwined about one another.

"Here." Renamon's voice came from behind her, and Seiko turned, still with Ruki in her arms. "Ruki will be fine. She was simply struck by one of the attacks that our enemy produced tonight."

Seiko frowned even more, and was a trifle relieved when Renamon came over to pick Ruki out of her arms. Ruki was a healthy growing girl, and while she kept in shape, carrying her was something Renamon was better suited for anyway in the long run.

"What was it?" Seiko wondered. She had learned a great deal about Digimon over the last few years, but she couldn't remember all of the details. There was no way she could even play the card game properly, though she certainly enjoyed going to the tournaments as a spectator. Any chance to cheer Ruki on was worth it.

"Konsuimon." Renamon moved along towards Ruki's room as she answered. "She was actually very lucky. Konsuimon's best attack can cause a coma that is very difficult to bring someone out of. Normally in the Digital World it isn't possible to revive a victim of it."

Seiko raised her eyebrows in curiosity. "Why is that?" Almost as soon as she asked the question, she knew the answer. Renamon had told them all over and over again that the Digital World was a much harsher one than Earth, where Digimon fought constantly in order to get stronger. That may have eased some in the last few years, but that was still the main way of life there.

Renamon confirmed what she was thinking a moment later. "Normally Konsuimon kill their victims and absorb their data before anyone can try to revive them. It's considered best to approach any area known to have them in a large group, for multiple reasons."

"Such as?" Seiko got Ruki ready to be tucked in, which didn't require a great deal of effort. The teenager had apparently retained enough awareness to remove her own shoes at the foyer, and Seiko wasn't going to insist on changing her into sleepwear at the moment. Just getting her ponytail undone and loosening her clothes a little was enough before she and Renamon got her into her futon.

"The reasons vary. Some prefer a larger group because if one or two are taken, the rest can continue in safety," Renamon spoke quietly. "Others prefer a group effort on the chance if some are affected, they can carry them away and attempt to wake them up elsewhere."

The Digital World _was_ harsh. While Seiko wouldn't have minded a partner of her own, if it were possible, she was just as glad that she hadn't been born there.

Seiko considered for a moment or two, then asked softly, "Would you like a cup of tea?" Renamon didn't look as if she'd been affected by the Konsuimon, but some tea was almost always soothing in Seiko's opinion.

The vulpine Digimon's lips moved into what the old woman knew was a smile. "Yes, thank you." They had had tea together many times over the years, and Seiko always enjoyed it. Conversations with Renamon were very, very enlightening. She was certainly not the wild beast that some of their neighbors wanted to claim once in a while. Seiko had loved her husband very much, but in truth, she envied what Ruki and Renamon had. To see them, Ruki in Renamon's arms, leaping off into the night, on business or pleasure, was something incredible to see.

She moved quickly into the kitchen and began to brew the tea. It went without saying that they would both be there with Ruki for a while. Though she was just sleeping, neither of them would feel comfortable just leaving her like that.

She knew quite well that by morning this situation would not seem quite as urgent as it did now. Ruki would be awake and wanting breakfast and complaining because she hadn't had her usual shower after coming in after patrol, and Seiko would laugh and make her whatever she wanted and warn her not to use up all of the hot water. Renamon might or might not be there, but Seiko was very certain that her presence would be felt regardless.

_She always has been._ Even when Seiko and Rumiko hadn't been aware of what was going on in Ruki's hidden life as a Digimon Tamer, Seiko had been aware there was someone watching over her granddaughter, and had been quite pleased to actually meet her. Renamon wasn't a guardian angel in the strictest sense that most people considered, but there was no doubt she would die before letting any true harm come to Ruki.

Before very long the tea was ready, and Seiko carried two cups back into Ruki's bedroom. Renamon had sat down cross-legged on Ruki's far side, and Seiko handed her the tea cup carefully. It would perhaps always amaze her to see how Renamon handled such things so very carefully. She felt the same way when she saw some martial arts or naturally strong people handling paintbrushes or glassware with the same kind of care. Renamon's hands, for she would never refer to them as _paws_, were lethal killing implements…that also touched Ruki with the tender gentleness of a lover.

Seiko sipped her own tea and watched as the moonlight slid across the room. "I was speaking with a friend about that movie we all saw the other night," she said after a few quiet minutes had passed. "She was of the opinion the special effects weren't quite as worthwhile as some others recently released."

"They did appear to be somewhat lacking," Renamon replied thoughtfully, drinking her tea. "What was used for the final conflict was a little…cliché."

Perhaps it had been. Seiko was willing to concede the point. It was very difficult to keep up with the movie industry. Rumiko had expressed interest in a movie deal, if one could be found that suited her. Seiko still wasn't certain of what she thought about that. She thought Rumiko would be better off trying to build something more of a relationship with Ruki before she went off to college in another year or two. They weren't as distant and confused as they'd been in earlier years, but they weren't as close as Seiko herself would have liked to have seen them.

"How are the others?" Seiko asked. She was nearing the bottom of her teacup and considered if she wanted another cup or not.

"Ruki took the brunt of the attack," Renamon replied, her eyes darkening slightly as she looked down at her partner. "It provided a distraction that enabled Takato and Guilmon to drive Konsuimon away for a time. It's a pity that they're immune to their own attack, or we could have found a way to reflect it back on them and deal with them that way."

Seiko nodded; Renamon had more than likely told them all that she would take care of Ruki and brought her back home. As much as they were her friends, there were some events that Renamon would only let herself take care of. This was obviously one of them. "I'm sure they'll be over tomorrow."

Renamon nodded, reaching out with the tips of one clawed hand to brush Ruki's hair back from her face as the girl turned over slightly. Ruki's eyes opened just a little, but she didn't wake up and closed them again with the faintest of smiles on her lips. It wasn't the sort of smile that Seiko was used to seeing from her granddaughter, but she was convinced suddenly that _Renamon_ was used to seeing it.

She knew there were several people, hundreds or thousands or more, who would have been appalled by the thought of Ruki being in some kind of a relationship with Renamon. After all, she wasn't a human. But Seiko wasn't one of them. Love was love. She'd seen too much in her life, and seen too much love shattered, broken, and destroyed to believe it should be cast aside because it came in a shape that one wasn't expecting.

Not to mention that she was very convinced that if anyone tried to tell Ruki that she should date a young man, when her heart was already given to Renamon, then they would deserve anything Ruki said about the situation. Ruki would not let anyone dictate what she did with her life, not her mother and not anyone else who pretended to think they knew better about what or who she wanted or needed.

Renamon pushed the teacup a little closer to her, and Seiko picked it up. "I'll be right back," she murmured and got up to return the cups to the kitchen. Everything had already been cleaned up, but she puttered a bit more than she absolutely needed to, giving Renamon a bit of time alone with Ruki. Sometimes, to be honest, she wondered what they actually did when they were supposedly 'on patrol'. It wasn't as if the city were under siege by evil Digimon. Not this week, anyway.

She ran a little water through the teapot, not because it really needed it, but because it gave her something to do before going back in there, and wiped the counters down one more time, and straightened this and that. After the busywork was done, she went back into Ruki's room. Renamon had returned to her original position and simply watched her partner.

_They still don't think that I know._ Seiko had no intentions of telling them, at least until they wanted her to know. She knew how it had been when she and her husband had first begun to see one another. Young love was always like that, whether it was first love or not.

It was getting quite late, however, and Seiko stifled a deep yawn as she checked the time. It was more than getting late, it _was_ late, and she really needed to get some rest of her own.

"You should go to bed," Renamon advised her. "I'll be with her until she wakes up."

Seiki could not help but smile as she pushed herself back up to her feet. "I know you will be, Renamon. You always are. There's no one I count on more than you to take care of her."

Renamon smiled faintly and glanced back at Ruki. "There is no one more important to me than she is."

"I know that, too." Seiko said quietly. Renamon looked back at her, a curious tilt to her head. Seiko only smiled. She had promised herself that she would not tell them until they wanted her to know. "Good night, Renamon." She bowed her head slightly, then went to her bedroom. She knew without having to look that Renamon _would_ be there all night long, by Ruki's side.

**The End**


End file.
